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Program Features

Consider the possibilities

Our Professional Writing Program offers a forward-thinking education in a small college environment with faculty dedicated to excellent undergraduate teaching. A Professional Writing degree gives students the chance to have important learning and career-building experiences within the context of a well-rounded liberal arts education.

The value of our professional writing degree is that it balances a wide-ranging writing experience with the professional skills that give students an edge in starting their careers. As such, we encourage our students to participate in writing retreats at SUNY Cortland's Raquette Lake, contribute to our literary magazines, perform at open mic readings, engage in innovating technical and digital projects with local business and non-profits, and even freelance for pay. In consultation with faculty, students create a professional writing portfolio to show to prospective employers.

In addition, students have the opportunity to become members of the Cortland Writers Association, a student group charged with fostering professional writing within the Cortland community, and to be editors or writers for NeoVox, our online magazine:http://neovox.cortland.edu/.

Our Faculty

Professional Writing faculty represent a diverse range of knowledge and experience in technical and professional communication, web design, poetry, fiction, non-fiction and scholarly research in rhetoric and composition and technical communication.

Our commitment to continuing growth and innovation means that students are assured of an education informed by the latest research and professional writing practices and supported by emerging technologies.

Program Areas

We divide our courses into three core areas: Rhetorical Theory and Practice, Creative Writing/Editing and Publishing, and Digital and Technical Writing (for more about each of these concentrations, see Our Major and Minor). As our program requirements demonstrate, our majors take courses across these areas while also having the opportunity to focus on a particular area that interests them. Many of our students are interested in creative writing, and some go on to attend Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) programs around the nation. Others express interest in the publishing industry and focus their studies on editing. Still others are interested in working as web designers and participate in our technology-intensive courses.